Wherever There is You
by Swishy Willow Wand
Summary: Freshman Kat Everdeen is torn between writing fic about Harry Potter's dead parents, reluctantly bonding with her surly roommate Jo and ridiculously cheerful new friend Peeta, dodging calls from her best friend back home, missing her baby sister, and surviving her surprisingly difficult writing class. Real life, unfortunately, is not as easy as fanfiction makes it out to be.
1. something like magic

I do not own the Hunger Games, Harry Potter, or the idea, which was inspired by the book Fangirl.

Thanks to my friends and followers on tumblr for helping me figure out a fitting fandom for Katniss to be obsessed with. Endless hugs for my amazing prereaders and friends, passionately_curious/mitchesbcray and arollercoasterthatonlygoesup.

* * *

**FALL 2013**

. . .

_**FanFixx - Books - Harry Potter - James Potter/Lily Evans**_

_Such a Thing as Magic by arrogant-git_

_ "James clinks his shot glass against hers, winking. "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good," he shouts, tilting his head back and taking the shot. When their eyes meet again he smiles widely, something warm spreading through her from her belly to the tips of her fingers. She tells herself it's the tequila." Jily, college AU._

_. . ._

Ashe Hall is large and imposing, a tall, stately brick building that looks like it came straight out of a college brochure. Students mill around, carrying boxes or texting or hugging; Katniss Everdeen wrinkles her nose, shouldering the last duffle bag that hasn't made its way into her new dorm room and squinting in the bright August sunlight.

God, there are a lot of people around here.

As if she can read her thoughts, her sister grins and elbows her side gently. "Somewhere around here is your Ron Weasley," Prim teases. Kat scowls and looks around, put off by the sheer number of iPhones on the lawn in front of her dorm.

"I don't see any Ron Weasleys," she retorts darkly, scowling at everyone she sees. Prim points at a redheaded boy toting several large boxes further down on the sidewalk and she finally cracks a smile. He is no Ron, that is for sure, but at least her sister is trying to humor her.

"Promise me you'll at least try to make friends," Prim says for the thirtieth time today. Her bright blue eyes catch a boy walking past her and she grins, rolling her eyes at her sister's glare. "Yes. That's exactly the face of a girl who's ready to have the time of her life."

"That's the face of the girl who's going to murder the guy flirting her jailbait sister," Kat retorts. She blames high school for the sudden, intense interest Prim has taken in boys.

Prim perks up. "You think he was flirting?"

Kat can hear their uncle Haymitch snort; he leans out of the open window and smiles slyly at her. "Don't worry Sweetheart, I'm sure some boy this year will be drunk enough to not find you completely repellant."

Kat scowls. "Is that how you tricked anyone into give you the time of day?"

Haymitch laughs and Prim gives her one last hug, squeezing her tight. "This will be great," she promises. And then she is slipping into the car; buckled up she almost looks like a kid again. Kat longs for the days.

She frowns at Haymitch for good measure. It is easy as ever to ignore the affection in his smirk. "Keep her safe," she warns.

"Yeah, yeah." He waves her off like a bug, but when their eyes meet she can tell he is sorry to leave her. He must know how afraid she is. "See you in a couple weeks. Stay alive, alright? Don't go starving or anything."

She tries to smile bravely, watching as he rolls up the window. Prim waves for a good three minutes until they turn out of the parking lot, the beat up old Camry rolling out of sight too soon. She hikes the bag higher up on her shoulder and then follows the crowd back into the building with a frown.

It's not a little disconcerting how many people there are — in the lobby, crowding around the snack machines, pushing in and out of the elevator and filing up and down the stairs with red, sweaty faces. And it's completely overwhelming; there are more people in this building than in her entire graduating class. She's barely even seen the rest of campus.

The ride to the twelfth floor is crowded; Kat spends it staring at her worn sneakers and keeping her elbows tucked in, avoiding eye contact with the cheerful, round-faced blonde beside her who is holding an open crate with a pillow pet on top.

Her floor is just as crowded as the other ones, furniture and boxes stacked by wide open doors. Kat makes her way to room 74D, relieved to find it as empty as it was when Prim and Haymitch helped her carry in the few boxes she had. Her roommate has yet to show up, a fact that is perfectly fine with her. She closes the door behind her, sighing at the quiet.

The first thing she does is make the bed, thin cotton sheets that she'd had for years stretching tightly over the long, narrow mattress, layering an old family quilt that her father's mother had given her parents as a housewarming gift. It's a soft, worn green, patterned with leaves. It smells like the detergent Prim likes to use.

She places her laptop on the little desk, a surprisingly nice gift Haymitch had given her for her 18th birthday. On the small bookshelf topping the desk she carefully arranges her Harry Potter books, the nice hardback editions Prim had given her for graduation. Beside them she places an old frame with the picture of her family; handsome father holding a pigtailed girl with hair as dark as his own, smiling mother holding a little blonde toddler. It seems so far away from all this, but she needs it to tether her to earth.

She's in the middle of putting away her t-shirts when the door flies open, banging loudly on the wall. The girl drops the boxes in her arms haphazardly in front of the unmade bed. She tosses a glance in Kat's direction, waving one arm with the least enthusiasm possible, collapsing down on the bed and rolling to face her.

"You're the roommate?" she asks, looking at Kat appraisingly. The girl is small but everything about her seems big, filling up the space in the previously empty room and leaving her feeling crowded. Her dark hair is closely cropped to her scalp, something like Rosemary's Baby meets GI Jane.

Kat shrugs, folding the shirt in her hands and trying to look nonchalant. "Looks like it."

The girl nods and then flops on her back. "I'm Johanna."

"Kat." Johanna doesn't even acknowledge that she's spoken, slides off the bed and walks out the door again, presumably for more of her stuff. She wonder if there's anyone helping her.

She's definitely not Ron Weasley.

. . .

_"here is a strange fellow smiling at her, bright hazel eyes blinking at her through thick glasses. He is tall and lean, handsome in an unkempt sort of way, beaming for no reason in her general direction._

_Lily feels herself flush (one of the many unfortunate side effects of being a redhead). Beside her, her sister Petunia sniffs angrily, casting sidelong glances in his direction._

_"Look at that freak," her sister whispers loudly, slipping her arm through Lily's and pulling her to walk by them a bit faster. The boy's shoulders twitch; when Lily looks back over his smile has fallen. Petunia doesn't notice (she never does, really), but Lily is sure to shoot an apologetic glance in his direction anyhow. When their eyes meet his face brightens once more. The long haired boy beside him elbows him in the ribs and the moment is broken when he doubles over, laughing and chuffing him on the arm._

_Tuney is completely oblivious; her long neck is too busy turning in other directions, smiling at everyone they meet. She seems to know everyone, waving at almost all of the passersby; in a quiet voice she mutters about them to Lily-it seems intimidating, that her sister already knows everyone, knows everything there is to know about their university. It's huge and sprawling, grassy squares and classic red brick buildings, quads filled with students milling around. As Petunia whispers secret after secret in her ear, it dawns on her that there might be someone someday soon that knows all of her secrets._

_The thought makes her squirm._

_They pass Gulmeg Hall, the tall, bland building on the north side of campus where Petunia is dorming for the second year in a row. It is a new addition (a fact Tuney is quite proud of, thanks very much) that towers over the rest of campus. She pulls her farther on, walking fast on her spindly legs in the direction of Gryffindor Hall, the building Lily had been assigned when she'd registered late in the spring._

_Petunia had tried not to make too much of a face at the placement. "I'm sure you'll get somewhere better next year," she'd said consolingly, flopping down beside Lily on her twin bed and patting her arm. But when Tuney finally drags her all the way across campus to the building that will be her home for the next year, it is impossible to understand her sister's disappointment. It is an older building, to be sure, but just the sight of it makes her smile._

_Home, she thinks._

_-from **Such a Thing as Magic **by arrogant-git, Chapter 1. Source: FanFixx, 8/10/13._

. . .

The door swings open in the middle of Kat's sentence; her fingers pause on the keyboard as her roommate stomps in, frowning in her general direction. A boy follows behind her, medium height and ridiculously broad chested, wavy blond hair tousled. He beams in her direction, as cheerful as Johanna is sour, and Kat scoots further back against the headboard, trying to make herself as small and invisible as possible.

It doesn't work. He lumbers in her direction, flopping down in her desk chair as if they've been best friends for ages. "You must be Katniss," he says warmly. She sighs, tilting her computer screen away from him as subtly as possible.

"Kat," she corrects. She tries to glower at him as politely as she can; somehow his smile widens anyway. His eyes are wide, a clear blue under long blond lashes. She decides right away she doesn't like him. At all.

"I'm Peeta." He holds out his hand for her to shake but she ignores it, flicking her eyes back; she reloads her tumblr dash for something to do, pretending to be thoroughly interested in the Loki gifset someone just reblogged. Peeta must see the movement reflecting in her irises and he leans in closer, a curious grin on his face. With a sigh she shuts her laptop, scowling at him in earnest.

On the other side of the room, her roommate Johanna pulls off her top. She stands there in a deep blue bra and dark skinny jeans, hands on her hips as she looks at the clothes she still has shoved in boxes. Kat feels herself turn bright red in embarrassment. This is not what she signed up for.

Peeta looks over at her and grins, seemingly unphased by her state of undress. "How come you didn't tell me your roommate was so friendly, Jo?" Johanna rolls her eyes, leveling him with a glare that speaks volumes. He winks at her, swiveling back to face Kat fully. He is disconcertingly handsome, nothing like the dark skinned, familiar boys that filled the halls of her high school. His fair skin is dotted with little freckles that bridge across his nose, disappearing into the wrinkles of his smile. Kat tries not to look too closely. "Have you been to the dining hall yet, Katniss?"

She frowns, annoyed. "It's Kat. And no, I haven't." She has all plans to avoid Cornucopia Cafeteria at all costs, considering the name alone makes her gag.

He smiles again, running his fingers through his wavy hair. It falls back into place, brushing over his forehead; he looks charmingly disheveled, a fact she knows he's probably one hundred percent aware of. "Now's your chance, then." He sounds excited, bouncing in the seat a little. "Jo and I were about to head down for dinner, come with us."

"I'm good," she says shortly. Her laptop is still warm in her lap, the document with the next chapter of Such a Thing still open and waiting to be finished.

Peeta frowns for the first time since he entered the room, tilting back up into a smile. "You don't know what you're missing," he teases warningly.

Johanna snorts, sharing a look with Kat that almost feels understanding. "I think she knows exactly what she's missing, Mellark." She smoothes down the black tank she pulled on, heading to the door. Peeta stands up, smiling one last time at Kat before following after her.

"It was nice to meet you." He leans against the doorframe for a moment, tilting his head almost curiously, a look on his face that is hard to read. She smiles weakly in return, sighing when he finally leaves. She opens her computer back up and makes a new text post on tumblr.

_**arrogant-git**_

_so my new roommate has the most annoying friend…_  
_#he's kind of cute i guess #but how is it even physically possible to smile that much ugh_

. . .

She's in the library after her first college class ever, the cheap used English book she'd managed to find for fifteen dollars on Amazon sitting on the table in front of her. She sits at a small table, spreading her stuff out as widely as she can manage, her bookbag filling up the only seat beside her. She opens her notebook and neatly writes the date in the top corner; in the margin she begins doodling a tiny Snitch.

Kat feels him beside her before she sees him. And then she looks up and there is the boy from her dorm, Peeta, an annoyingly bright and familiar smile already stretched across his face.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asks hopefully, and she does mind but before she can protest he is lifting her bag out of the seat and sitting it carefully on the floor, sinking into the now empty chair gratefully.

Peeta pulls out his own textbook, shiny and new and probably devoid of huge chunks of unnecessarily highlighted text in a putrid pink that makes her eyes water. He sees her looking and smiles again, pulling out a surprisingly beaten up old notebook and setting it on top. Always smiling, she thinks in irritation.

"Morning Katniss." He turns his whole body to face her, his whole body facing her in a way that is frustratingly hard to ignore.

"It's Kat," she reminds him through gritted teeth. She holds her pen tighter, drawing delicate wings on the tiny little ball on her paper. It's hard to focus under the weight of his attention.

"I like Katniss, though." Peeta props his chin in his hand, bright blue eyes wide and friendly. Kat scowls.

"Well that changes everything then," she dead pans, casting a withering look that doesn't even make him flinch. He laughs instead, the sound warm and way too loud for the library.

"How are classes going?"

Kat eyes him, trying to figure out how serious he is about holding a real conversation with her. When she sees the earnest look on his face she sighs heavily, closing her notebook in defeat.

"Fine," she says grudgingly. He looks expectant but she stays silent, hoping to end the conversation through sheer willpower. Instead he looks at her textbook, smiling in sympathy.

"English, huh?" He grimaces, still somehow managing to look cheerful. "Ugh, better you than me."

Her shoulders stiffen. "I'm an English major," she tells him coolly.

Peeta looks impressed. "Oh, man, smarty pants. I'm going to have to step up my game." His voice has a teasing lilt to it, and she can't help but wonder if he's this irritatingly familiar with everyone she knows. "I'm an art education major," he offers. Even though she didn't ask.

Kat must give him a skeptical kind of look because he grins broadly, flipping open the notebook in front of him - a sketchpad, she notices for the first time. He flips through too fast for her to catch any of the pictures, just a blur of colors and lines. He lands on an empty page somewhere towards the back, picking up his pencil and looking at her expectantly.

"What do you want me to draw you?" She scoffs but he is undeterred.

"Hogwarts."

He looks surprised. "Hogwarts?"

It's probably weird to feel panic at the thought that he doesn't know what Hogwarts is but it's there in her gut, creeping up to her throat. "Yes," she says edgily. "Like the castle. In Harry Potter."

He rolls his eyes, smiling again. "God, I don't live under a rock, Katniss-"

"_Kat._"

"I just don't really remember what it looks like." He looks disappointed and she feels kind of guilty. He's nice enough, if not obnoxiously outgoing. She tries not to blame him too much for not remembering what Hogwarts looks like, reminds herself it just makes him normal. She waves her hand dismissively.

"Whatever. Draw like, a tree or something."

Peeta looks disbelieving. "A tree? No. I just need to do a little research, Katniss Everdeen."

She doesn't correct him this time, too intrigued at the thought of personally commissioned (sort of) fanart (kind of). She watches him look at his watch, swearing and flipping his pad closed.

"I've gotta get to the studio," he explains, stuffing his book back into his bag and standing up, swinging it over his shoulder and beaming down at her. "See you later?"

Kat shrugs. "It seems inevitable." He narrows his eyes in thought, shaking his head at her words.

"Try not to sound so excited," he says lightly. She laughs and he looks pleased, shoving his free hand in his pocket and shifting his weight. "Bye, Katniss." As he walks away she imagines the smiles he is aiming at literally every stranger he comes across.

She's never met anyone so obsessed with her name.

. . .

Kat is typing furiously, a ziplock bag of deer jerky open on the bed beside her. She takes a bit, chewing furiously as she writes. Johanna is sitting on her bed scowling at nothing.

_The girl smiles brightly; tucking an errant strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "You must be Lily." Her eyes dart to Petunia behind her who is busy eyeing the paint on the walls with a look of distaste._

_Lily grins, dropping her bag on the bed without sheets. "Guilty! And you are…?"_

_"Your new roommate," she says cheerfully, sticking out a hand for her to shake. "Marlene McKinnon."_

_"Nice to_

"Do you ever eat real food?"

Kat jerks her head up, looking over at her own, real life roommate who is eyeing the jerky in her hand with a look that hints strongly of judgment.

"This is real food," she says defensively. Johanna rolls her eyes.

"Have you even been to the dining hall yet?" She smirks knowingly as if she already knows the answer, laughing when her face falls. "Come on, let's go eat."

Kat whines a protest. "Can't you make your boyfriend go with you?"

Jo looks surprised. "Boyfriend? Do you mean Peeta?" She cackles, stomping over to Kat's bed and closing her laptop, picking it up and placing it on the desk. "Get up, Brainless. Looking at the computer is clearly costing you precious braincells and if I have to eat in a cafeteria full of dumbasses I prefer a mocking partner."

Kat feels her face get hot, frowning in irritation at her roommate. "Is this the part of the college experience where we go shopping and eat ice cream and become super BFFs?" She stands up reluctantly.

Johanna scoffs. "God, I hope not." She walks back to her bed, slipping off her sweats and picking up a pair of dirty jean shorts off the floor, giving them a once over before tugging them on. "Are you coming?"

In a stroke of perfect timing, Kat's phone lights up with a new message.

_**Gale H [AUG 12 7:35 PM] **Hey can you talk?_

_**Gale H [AUG 12 7:35 PM] **I mean I know you're ignoring me but I think we should talk about it_

_**Gale H [AUG 12 7:36 PM]** I miss you_

She turns her phone face down on the bed and stands up hastily, sliding on her shoes and walking towards the door.

"Whatever, let's get this over with."

Johanna laughs approvingly, slapping her hard on the back. "C'mon, Brainless. Let's go see what shit they've cooked up for us today."

. . .

_Her phone lights up on her walk across campus towards the dining hall and she answers it on the first ring, a smile spreading wide across her face. "Severus!" His familiar laugh fills her ear and it makes her feel warm with happiness._

_Marlene looks at her curiously and she waves her on, gesturing to the phone pressed against her ear. "Go on," Lily urges, already jogging towards a bench a few meters away. "I'll find you in there!" She waits for her to disappear around the bend, sinking down onto the cool metal._

_"Who was that?" His voice sounds more nasal than usual; it happens when he's anxious. She frowns, wishing her best friend wasn't so far away._

_"My roommate, Marlene. She's really nice, Sev, I think you'd like her!"_

_Severus sighs. "Maybe." He sounds doubtful; he never really likes anyone. Sometimes she wonders how they became friends at all._

_"Definitely," she corrects him and he laughs again, though it sounds a little darker this time._

_"Well you do have excellent taste in friends," he teases. There is movement further down the sidewalk, a group of loud boys laughing as they walk._

_"Clearly. How was work today?" He sighs again, telling her about Mr. Riddle's latest unfair demands._

_The group of boys are closer now; in the orangey glare of the streetlight Lily recognizes the boy with the glasses from the first day. She knows he sees her too; the sandy haired guy to the left of him elbows him and points in her direction. It's impossible to miss the way his face lights up. It should be weird but instead it makes her stomach twist in an exciting kind of way._

_"Lil?"_

_Guiltily she looks away, trying to remember what Sev had been saying. She knows what to say anyway. "Sorry, that's terrible. You really should quit, you know." The boy is directly in front of her now. His mouth opens as if he is going to say something, his steps slowing. She averts her eyes, staring at the scuffs on her shoes. When she looks up again, he is gone._

_-from **Such a Thing as Magic **by arrogant-git, Chapter 2. Source: FanFixx, 8/12/13._

* * *

This fic will follow the overall pacing of Fangirl, although the plot will deviate significantly. I can't promise regular updates as I have a super busy RL, but I thank you in advance for your patience and feedback :) come find me on tumblr for chatting, adorableness, and fic peeks: swishywillow.


	2. five times Lily saw a stag

Her phone rings early in the morning, just soon enough after dawn for the light to hurt her eyes and causes Johanna to grumble viciously at the familiar, chirrupy ringtone. She smiles without even looking at the ID.

"Hey little duck," she murmurs sleepily, turning on her other side to face the wall. The wide smile stretching across her face seems too private for her roommate to see.

"You sound like you were sleeping. Were you sleeping? What time is your first class? Have you been eating breakfast?" Kat can picture the furrow in her sister's brow as she talks quickly and she laughs quietly.

"No class until ten," she boasts, trying to sound more excited about it than she really is. "Living the dream, Primmy!"

Prim sighs enviously, the sound muffled through the crunch of cereal. Kat pictures her smushing the phone between her shoulder and her ear as she eats, the way she always does. It used to drive Kat _crazy_, the way she couldn't stop communicating long enough to swallow, but now the very idea of it makes her so homesick she feels dizzy.

"That sounds awesome," Prim says, wistful. "Ugh, I have Mr. Flickerman for homeroom and I feel like it shouldn't even be legal to have to see him before ten!"

Kat smiles into the phone. "I dunno, it's a good wake up call," she teases. Prim groans.

"Yeah, whatever. So how are classes? How's your roommate? Have you met any b_ooooo_ys?"

It's Kat's turn to groan. "Classes are fine. My roommate is alright," she ignores Jo's offended snort on the bed across the room. "Everything's fine."

Her sister is quiet for a moment. "Are you — I mean, you don't sound excited. Are you making any friends?"

Unbidden, Peeta's obnoxiously smiling face makes its way into her thoughts and she sighs. "Yeah, I guess. Kind of. It's, you know. Not always easy for me—"

Before she can say anything else there is a honk on the other end of the phone and she can hear Prim's spoon clatter into her bowl.

"Crap, Rory's mom is here," she says fretfully. "I gotta go. But just…keep trying, okay Kat? Promise?"

She grips the phone hard. "I promise," she says, almost too softly for anyone but herself to hear. "I miss you, though."

Prim's voice changes with her smile. "I miss you too, sis."

She keeps the phone pressed to her ear long after her sister has hung up.

. . .

_It seems anticlimactic, really, the first time the boy from the courtyard sidles up to her. She's pouring cereal into a plastic bowl when a tray drops beside her own on the line and she jumps, startled when she realizes it's him._

_"You don't really look like a Lucky Charms kind of girl," he says, voice teasing as if they are old friends and it's not the first time they've spoken. Usually this kind of familiarity would bother her, but she feels as if she knows him already, like they've already made some kind of connection. His hazel eyes are twinkling behind his glasses and his smile widens as her face turns hot._

_"Well, you know," Lily says loftily, sliding her tray down towards the two percent milk. "It's important to keep people on their toes." The sound of his laugh slides down her back and curls up warmly somewhere in the pit of her stomach. _

_"I'll keep that in mind." She watches him from the corner of her eye, snorting as he fills a bowl of his own with Raisin Bran. He clutches the bowl to his chest at the sound. "Excuse me, are you making fun of a stranger's cereal?"_

_Her own eyes go wide as she snaps her head to look at him, her worried expression melting into a halfhearted frown at the sound of his laugh._

_"Well _you_ don't exactly look like a Raisin Bran kind of guy, either."_

_He slides closer, his arm brushing hers as he reaches for the milk. "What kind of a guy do I look like then?" There's no way he misses the way she looks him up and down appraisingly. His hair is messy, sticking up in all direction as he runs his fingers through it nervously; the dark gray shirt he wears stretches across his shoulders nicely, bringing out the colors in his eyes._

_She swallows, trying to hide her nerves and reminding herself that he's just a boy, a strange one at that. "The kind that's trouble," she tells him honestly as she picks up her tray. His smile lights up the room. _

_"Only the best kind," he promises. And she believes him._

_-from **Something Like Magic **by arrogant-git, Chapter 3. Source: FanFixx, 8/15/13._

. . .

When Kat arrives to her first creative writing class (seven minutes early, in time to get a prime spot three rows back and just off center enough to not seem like a weirdo), there is a question written on the board in large, neat capital letters.

WHY ARE YOU HERE?

She looks around wildly, scowling with nerves, even going so far as to walk back out of the room and check that she's in the right room. But it's the right room, the right time, the right everything; she sits at her desk rigidly and stares at the wordas, ignoring the other students who file in with lazy bedheads and venti Starbucks cups in their hands. They're mostly older than her but no one even looks twice in her direction.

At exactly 10:59 the professor walks in. He is younger than she expected, his bright green eyes friendly as he passes out the syllabus.

_ENGL 2730 – INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING_

_Dr. Cinna Williams, UH RM 272_

_Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:00-10:30 and 2:00-4:30_

"All here for Intro to Creative Writing?" He looks around, counting head and glancing down at the roster in his hands. When no one dissents he claps his hands together. "Excellent. I'm Dr. Williams, but you can call me Cinna. I'm not going to go over the syllabus with you — you're all adults, you can read it on your own. I expect you to be present and on time for each class, and to turn in all assignments when they're due. Questions?"

Kat shifts nervously in her seat as he looks around the class; his eyes meet hers and while they're still friendly, they're very intense. She darts her eyes back down to the paper on her cramped little desk.

"Don't be so nervous, guys." She can practically feel him still looking at her. "I'm not going to make you do any ice breakers," he assures warmly as he places his satchel on the table down front. "You don't have to tell two truths and a lie or what your major is or your favorite color or any of that bullshit small talk." Everyone laughs in appreciation and Kat feels her shoulders ease in relief. Something about him is comforting; when their eyes meet again she smiles tentatively.

Cinna places his palms flat on the table, leaning forward intimately. "You guys chose this class. It's not a core requirement or being offered at thirty different times by fifteen professors. You picked this over something else. You made time in your lives to be here, so I'm not going to waste that time and I hope you'll extend me the same courtesy."

The class is hushed and she chances a look around at her classmates — they look just as surprised by his intensity as she feels. She had worried for a moment it was just a freshman thing.

He points to the board. "Why are you here?" His eyes skim the roster again and a feeling of dread wells up in her stomach. "Why are you here — Katniss Everdeen?" When she startles he smiles kindly. "Did I say that right?"

She can feels her eyes go wide as the entire class shifts their attention her way. "Uh, yeah." Cinna looks expectant so she shrugs her shoulders. "I'm here because I, um. Like to write?" The dark haired girl beside her snickers but he ignores her.

"Go on," he encourages. "Why do you like to write — what makes you passionate about it?"

Kat swallows hard. "I don't know. I'm not really great with words all the time. Or ever." The class laughs and she scowls. "Out loud, I mean. But it's like — when I'm writing…" She shrugs helplessly.

"I'm here to meet chicks," some guy on the other side of the room jokes. Cinna groans halfheartedly and the attention shifts mercifully away from her. Breathing a sigh of relief, Kat chances a glance at the guy who interrupted her awkward moment. His hair is bright red, curling around his ears; when he winks at her she flushes.

"And you are?" Cinna lifts an eyebrow curiously at the redhead who smiles brightly.

"Darius." He leans back in his chair and waves at the class confidently.

"Hm, well," Cinna grins wryly. "As fascinating as that reason is, I'd like something a little deeper. Care to elaborate?"

Darius shrugs. "Writing makes me feel like a god," he says simply. Katniss rolls her eyes even as some of the people around her murmur their agreement. She can barely force herself to listen as the rest of the class pipes up with reasons of their own — to be heard, to feel powerful, to have a voice. She pulls out her notebook and scrawls the question on the top of the page, biting her pencil nervously.

_Why are you here?_

When she leaves the class an hour later, artfully dodging the professor on the way out, the page is still blank.

. . .

**arrogant-git**

_At this point in the week I feel like I've earned a night of fic writing and reading updates until midnight._

_#this is supposed to be the best time of my life #meeting people partying etc. etc. etc. #tell that to my inbox full of updates_

. . .

Kat's probably more excited than she should be at the prospect of a night alone but she knows for a fact that Johanna started her job at this restaurant off campus and she's working tonight. And literally all she wants in the world is to shut herself in the room and pretend she's in an AU of her own life where she lives alone and gets paid to eat Oreos and write fic.

When she steps out of the stairwell onto the floor though, it takes everything in her to repress a groan.

Peeta's sitting cross legged on the floor beside her door, tapping something on his iPhone. She's seen him a few times since their encounter in the library; each time he has been as effusively cheerful as the last, all wide smiles and sweet blue eyes. It's exhausting.

She trudges down the hallway with a glower ready to go on her face and he jumps when she moves beside him and slides her key into the lock, looking at her and beaming in surprise. His hair sticks up in the back from leaning against the wall and she tells herself it's not endearing at all.

"Katniss! You're really quiet," he says brightly, shoving his phone into his backpack and standing up. He shoulders his bag and looks at her expectantly, not taking the hint in her scowl. "Is the key stuck or something?"

Kat sighs. "Jo isn't here," she grumbles, finally twisting the key. The door swings open but she doesn't go in yet; he leans on the wall beside her, smiling down at her.

"Maybe I didn't come here to see Jo." His voice is teasing, but there's an earnest look on his face that she doesn't quite like. When she looks at him pointedly he grins. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"I'm not really known for my charm," she says dryly, finally entering the room and crossing over to her bed. He closes the door behind them and sinks into the chair at her desk, looking at her expectantly.

"Then they're just not looking hard enough." She gives him a sour look but he seems to be sincere and he clutches his chest at her expression. "God, that scowl. I think it just burned up something inside of me."

Kat rolls her eyes, unable to stop the reluctant smile that spreads across her face. "You're an idiot."

"And you're rude." The look on his face makes it seems as if he thinks it's her best possible quality. "In fact, you _might_ be too rude for your surprise…"

Kat flops back on her bed. "Bummer." She tries to hide the way her mouth twitches when he pulls out his sketch pad.

Peeta lets out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, well. All those careful hours of research and painstaking shading, wasted." He flips it open and moves to rip the page out, already tugging on the paper when Kat breaks down and laughs.

"Ugh, fine, whatever." She rolls over on her side and reaches for the book. Peeta pretends to swoon.

"Man, I can usually only hope for that kind of warm reception," he teases. "I only hope my critiques go that well this semester." His hand brushes against hers as he hands the pad over and for some weird (frustrating, embarrassing) reason her face gets hot. And then she gets a good look at his drawing.

It's good. _Really_ good. Turrets and banners and gargoyles and this incredible stone work that she wants to trace with her own fingers to see if it feels as real as it looks. There's the Great Lake with a shadow beneath the surface, and she wonders if it's the giant squid. Hedging the edges of the page is a thick forest, full of spindly branches and lush leaves. She kind of wants to cry.

"Wow," she breathes quietly; when she glances up at his face he looks nervous for the first time. "So you're like…a real artist."

He laughs through his nose. "Can you write that in a note to my mom?"

Kat shakes her head. "Peeta this is — shit, how did you do this in just a few days? This is incredible!"

He scratches the back of his neck, looking bashful. "It's not a big deal."

"No," she sits up, clutching the sketchbook like it's something precious. "This is amazing. This is like, put on tumblr good." Peeta looks confused at that and she hastily adds, "I mean if people do that. Whatever. I don't even know what tumblr is. But. I mean. Shut up. The point is, this is really, really good. There are so many details—"

He rolls his eyes a little, his smile pleased. "Yeah, I spent way too much time on the wiki page trying to figure it out," he says ruefully. "I had no idea people took it so seriously."

"Well, you know," she tries to look nonchalant. "It kind of defines our generation."

Peeta stretches his legs out, leaning back in the chair to look at her better. "I mean, I guess for some people? I saw a couple of the movies but—"

"A _couple_ of the movies?" she asks sharply. "You haven't seen all of them?"

He must hear the urgency in her voice because he frowns. "Um."

Kat shakes the drawing at him desperately. "But you read the books, right?" Her face falls at the look on his face.

"I'm not much of a reader," he says sheepishly. At her look of disbelief he smiles again. "I'm guessing you are?"

She shrugs. "I mean. Yeah. We — my family read a lot growing up. My dad…" Kat stops short, frowning and looking away. "He liked to read a lot. It was our thing." Her fingers pull at the worn quilt under her legs, tracing the familiar stitching. Her chest feels tight and she forces herself to concentrate on the soft shade of green. Her favorite color. Something from home.

"That sounds awesome." The gentleness of his voice brings her back and she smiles tightly.

"Yeah, it was." His bright blue eyes are looking at her intently, the crooked grin on his face obnoxiously kind. Before she can help herself she blurts, "So you really haven't seen the Harry Potter movies?"

He laughs, the sound loud and warm and filling up the room. It eases the bubble of anxiety in her chest. "I saw the one with the dragon and the one with those creepy dementos."

Kat rolls her eyes. "Dement_ors_," she corrects.

"Yeah, those." The look he gives her makes it clear he's only kind of teasing. "But I didn't really know what was going on so it wasn't the most thrilling cinematic experience of my life."

She scoffs. "Well you _have_ to watch them," she says sternly, sitting up on her knees and reaching past him to the far end of her desk to grab her boxed set. Her hip bumps his knee and she jumps, the movies slipping out of her grasp and clattering on the desk. She feels her face flame and when she looks up, he looks disproportionately pleased. She scowls, shoving them against his chest. The way he winces is satisfying.

Peeta looks down at the movies and then back at her in horror. "Oh my god, there are eight of them?"

"Better get started."

He looks disappointed. "I don't know if I want to watch eight movies by myself."

"You're friendly," she says with a shrug, trying not to make it sound like too much of an insult. "I'm sure you can con someone into watching it with you."

He smiles widely. "You think I'm friendly?"

Kat glares at him. "Annoyingly so."

"You think I'm friendly _and _you're letting me borrow your movies," he points out smugly, his grin growing wider by the second. "You know that makes us friends, right?"

"Oh my god." She rolls her eyes so hard it practically gives her a headache and she lays back down on the bed and puts her arm over her eyes. She hears him stand up but she doesn't look.

"I guess I'll be heading out, bestie." She groans, listening to his heavy steps as he walks towards the door. He pauses before opening it. "Hey, Katniss?"

She finally looks at him. "_Kat_."

Peeta smiles innocently. "Want to watch a movie with me tomorrow night?" He holds out _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_. "It's one of my friend's favorite movies and she made me promise I would watch them."

She stares at him, mouth dropped open in surprise, but he doesn't relent. "Um," she says after a long moment of stunned silence, "I guess so."

He looks so pleased it's almost impossible to regret it. "Great!" He opens the door but doesn't leave, leaning against the frame and looking back at her. "It's a date." His smile is an unsettling combination of sweet and shy and it leaves her sputtering.

"Peeta—"

"It's an expression," he says lightly. But she doesn't miss the way his cheeks turn pink as he steps into the brightly lit hall.

. . .

**arrogant-git**

_OH MY GOD OHM Y GODO HMY GOD_

_#I THINK I JUST DID SOMETHING STUPID #HELP_

* * *

_Endless thanks for all the kind feedback! Shout out especially to mitchesbcray and arollercoasterthatonlygoes up on tumblr for the pre-reading and hand holding. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Let me know what you think and come find me on tumblr: swishywillow._


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